Noronex Limited has appointed Tony Chisnall as Chief Geologist, effective immediately, to drive the company’s copper exploration strategy in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) across Namibia and Botswana.
Chisnall brings more than 25 years of global experience in exploration, resource development, and mine geology. His track record includes leading major discoveries and scaling up resources in gold, copper, base metals, nickel, and critical minerals, working in jurisdictions that present significant geological and operational challenges such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Turkey.
Some standout achievements from his career:
- Expanding the Bawdwin silver–lead–zinc–cobalt–copper deposit in Myanmar to 100 million tonnes (JORC 2012) in just three years.
- Extending the mine life of the Mae Sot zinc mine by over 15 years.
- Overseeing the geology team for the restart of the Avebury nickel mine in Tasmania.
Earlier in his career, Chisnall also gained direct exposure to southern Africa’s mineral systems through fieldwork in Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Tony holds a Master of Science in Ore Deposit Geology from the University of Western Australia and is a long-standing member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).
Transition and Strategic Roles
Bruce Hooper, who has been serving as Noronex’s consultant Chief Geologist, will shift into a new role as Strategic Technical Consultant. In this capacity, he will focus on business development and broader growth opportunities for the company.
According to Victor Rajasooriar, Noronex’s Managing Director & CEO, Chisnall’s appointment is a major step forward in strengthening the company’s geology team, and the move will help push Noronex’s copper exploration efforts to the next level in the KCB. Meanwhile, Rajasooriar also expressed gratitude for Hooper’s leadership in building the technical foundation: securing a strong land position, launching the sedimentary copper strategy, forming a Tier-1 JV partner, and overseeing exploration programs.
Noronex’s Projects & Strategy
Noronex is an ASX-listed company focused on copper exploration, with advanced projects in the Kalahari Copper Belt spanning Namibia and Botswana. The firm also has operations in Ontario, Canada.
Key data:
- The Witvlei Project in Namibia has an existing JORC (2012) resource estimate of about 10 million tonnes at 1.3% copper, divided into indicated and inferred categories.
- Noronex has a Strategic Alliance Agreement with South32 for exploration in Botswana. Under the earn-in agreements, South32 can earn up to 60% of Noronex’s Humpback-Damara Project and the Botswana licenses by investing approximately A$4 million annually in exploration over up to five years. Noronex will act as manager of exploration under these agreements.
- The company also holds a uranium tenement (EPL 6776) in Namibia’s hard rock uranium region, via a joint venture where Noronex can earn up to an 80% interest and will manage the project.
